Cleaner for tubes of condensers, boilers, etc.



CLEANER FOR TUB APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12, 1921.

M. K. BOWMAN. ES OF CONDENSERS, BOILERS, ETC.

Patented Aug. 1, 1922.

Suva who; WW4 1%. fiawmam 3 3 M a t tome stair MARK K. BOW'MAIJ, OF NEWYQBK, N. Y., AfiSIG NGR TO M. K. BOWMAN-3135011 QOMJE'ANY, OF NEW 'YQRK,N. Y., A CORPORATION 01- NEW YORK.

CLEANER son roses on connnnsnns, Beltane, are.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented An 1, 1922.

Application filed January 12, 1921. Serial No. 436,677.

T 0 all w item it may concern Be it known that 1, MARK K. Bowman, acitizen of the llnited States, and resident of New York, in the countyof New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Cleaners for Tubes of Condensers, Boilers, Etc, of whichthe following is a specilication. a r I My present invention. isprimarily 'concerned with apparatus broadly of the type for cleaningcondenser tubes, that is, with apparatus of the type driven through thesubstantially the same relations as the de vices of said patent andappli ntions for cleaning either condenser or boiler tubes, although asheretofore noted it is preferably applicable to the cleaning of condensetubes.

In common with my copending applications referred to, the presentinvention has for its object the provision of a tube clean-- ingprojectile which shall be elfective in its action and inexpensive in itsconstruction and which. shall be susceptible of. being formed in anysizes for use with tubes of any diameter, which shall be capable ofturning relatively sharp corners in tubes without likelihood of jamming,and which shall be particularly useful in cleaning tubes of the verysmall diameters.

According to one feature of theinvention,

the projectile comprises a plurality of scraper elements coiled aboutthe rod and disposed at'uniform. intervals along the len h thereof,eachsaid coiled element exten ing forwardly from the point at which itissecured, in ahelixof low pitch, the entire length of each scraperelement being disposedbetween the adjacent scraper elements on oppositesides thereof,'the successive scraper elements being identical inconstructlon and in staggered relation w th respect to each other. Although I prefer to combinejthe features asset forth and snperiorresults are obtained by such construction, it will beunderstood thatcertain of these features may be modified. or omitted without departingfrom. the scopeof my. in vention.

i lccording to another preferred feature, each. scraper element isformed of a unitary length of wire including aneye encircling the rodand clampedin position about the rod by nuts threaded against oppositesides ofsaid eyev V Referring now to the drawings in which is shown oneof various possible embodiments of the severalfeatures of this inve11-tion,

Fig. lis a side elevation of a preferred form of cleaning projectile, li

Figs. 2, 3, 4: and 5 are transverse sectional views taken along thelines3-3,4l--4- and 5-5 respectively,

Fig. 6 is a plan view oflone of the scraper elements,

Fig. 7 is a side view thereof,

Fig. 8 is a perspective viev of one of the nuts; and, i

Fig. 9 is a side view of the supporting rod.

The views are all shown as of double the size of the smallestprojectiles used in practice in order to better reveal the details ofthe construction.

Referring now to the drawings II have shown a projectile comprising asupporting rod 1 having threads as at throughout the length thereof.leather, cork or similar material. and of somewhat larger diameter thanthe tube for which the projectile is designed. isfitted over one end ofthe rod and'nuts and 5 circular washer 3 of threaded upon saidrod and atopposite sides of the leather washer serve to clamp the latter inposition, the free end of the rod being preferably upset as at 6 inorder to secure the end nut against coming loose.

The scraping function of the projectile is preferably performed by aseries of wire lengths extending circumferentially about the rod. Bypreference each scraper element 5 is formed of a length of round wireshaped as'inFigs. 6 and 7, comprising an inner eye portion 7 to fitabout the rod with a relatively snug fit havingintegral (and continuoustherewith a spirally shaped end 8 projecting outwardly therefrom toentered being no tendency to rotate the pr 'lflbOllt its tXlS about therod for the major portion of'one' turnof materially' larger diameter.than the rod, and alsobent cut o'it the plane of the securing eyeportion, as at 9, in a helix. of; 5 low pitch extending in the*direction of the forward or advance end of the projectile.

1min the-understood that'a single flat spiral may be employed, butlppreferthe helical construction shown. The term spiral as tween theadjacent surfaces of nuts 1H and 10 In a similar way the scraperelements vand nuts are successively passed over the rod, the final nut10,,heing; securedby up setting the end. 11 of the rodthereover, or bysimilar means, As. best shown in Figs. 2,3, 4 and 5 the wirescraperelements are placed in position in staggered relation. 7 In the specificembodiment shown, the 'Ere'eends ninety degrees apart although it willbe obvious that the interval might be any other angle, if desired;

ably less thanthe thickness of nut 8,,so that no nterference can takeplace hetweensuccessiye scraper, elements, the entireleng'th ofieachscraper element being disposed between the adjoining scraper elements. Ithus providea projectile which though ineluding a plurality of scraperelelnentsis, nevertheless, of shortlength. i

It is understoodthat the projectile will ,be madein difierent sizestocorrespondinp; with sizes of condenser tubes,,the ;outside proximatelyas .large tor somewhat larger thanthe tube tobe cleanedjthereby. l

i v .In use, the end-1,1. ,oppositethe washer 3 ,cleaneclan'd theprojectile watts nr ge'd'for- .wardly the use of compressed air orother, fluid; applied 1 to the rear of washer 3.

reason of its; spinal conformation. Ihere "ea-n6 it vwill mo e "with s 1stanion of translationandj there 1 tial-lyhjpura will therefor pressureof ofthe successive scraper elements are about The pitch of thehel'calscrapersis prefer "place as diameter: of, the helix being preferably,ap-- is inserted into the, condenser tuber tq be The length-of each ofthe scraper elements undercut the accumulation of slirn ein, ,x itspath, separating it fromfthe walls of the condenserJtube, each scraperelement tend- .ingto .slashflthrolughthemud or;slimej iby e be no'tenjdency tospread or p op en Ithe i eyes 75 n eperat en. fin i l tt 5011 the staggered relation of the 'scraperele ments the action isequally eflicacious with respect to all parts of the circumference of"the; tube an'dgthe cleaningflaction 1s uniformly effective, a resultattainable with diflicnlty in construction embodying but asingle-element The leather washer will push .before it the loosenedaccumulation of mud and slime and the current of compressed air "orwater will blow the tube clean. V

.It will be seen that if; the slime or mud is particularlyencrusted andoffers resistance greater than usually encountered by the projectile,the rod may move "forwardly under the propelling force whilethe scraperelements remain stationary, "whereby the scraper elements wouldbeforced'backwardly with respect to the rodtow'ardthe plane in which theeye 7 is secured in place. f The the scraper would thus'be' increasedperipherally against the tube tendi119; to'divi'de the mud or slime andby virtue of 'the restoring tendency of the springresulting from thedeflection thereof, pressure would be brought to bear against theaccumulationto assist the propulsive force,

Thus, the tube :VVlll be cleaned in an efi s cient manner, although nosharp cutting edges are applied, a 1 "The ,wlre scraper about therod'for lessthan a complete turn, no buckling, breaking for ining; will takemight Occu s a fiatribbon 'wire arranged in a helix ofhig'h p-itch'wereused as a scraper element.

reason ofthe materialjclearance between the effective'length of the"scraper and "the rod, the

scraper can be defiected 'thrlough a material range toward the rod,which renders possible the turning of relatively sharp corners, withoutlikelihood of obstruction or'jamniing.

I H extending 'iiorwiardly in a helix of low pitclnlhe wire being roundin cross sectionganfd' the' -hehX extending c .It is, of course,understood that the means I i 10 for securingthe scraper elementswith'resp cfltto the rod mightbe used for securing scraper elements offawide variety of types, andthat'iny specific-preferred scraper elementsmight be secured in; place by means otherthan'thatset :forth, also thatwire of non-circular cross-section might be employed prefer, however,toemploy'the ."specific combination showmand described. a

I claim I l a i 'A tubeeleapingp eetue of the-"class described, comrising incombination,a"r0d,

, a 1 series of similar sc aps elements rigidl held at 7 an, end withrespect to said rod, the ends" of successive scraper elements{benigstaggered; with respectto eachother circumelements extendingfreefof {said rod from ,said'secontl end n a directionclr'cuniiferentially of {said "rod; the scraper "elements being spacedfrom each other longitudinally of the rod, the entire length of eachscraper element being intermediate the adjacent scraper elements atopposite sides thereof.

2. A tube cleaning projectile of the class described. comprising incombination, core, a series 011' similar metallic scraper elementscoiled. about said core, each secured at one end with respectto saidcore and. i'reethera from at the other end, said scraper elements beinguniformly spaced longitudinally of the core and being staggered withrespect to each other. i

tube cleaning projectile of the class des ibed, comprising incombination, a rod, :1 series of similar scraper elements in staggeredrelation equidistantly spaced along tl e length of said rod and. securedwith respect thereto, each said scraper element comprising single wire,the length of which extends circumterentially for a small frac tion ofthe length of said rod.

l. A tube cleaning projectile of the class described, comprising incombination, a core, a series of similar,equidistant, uniformlystaggered scraper members, each said member comprising a wire secured atone end with respect to said rod and extending in a free spiralthercabout, said wires being secured at uniform intervals along thelength of the core.

In a tube cleaning projectile of the class described, in combination, arod, :1 series of equidistant scraper elements extending outwardlytherefrom spacerelements encircling said rod to maintain said scraperelemen ts at uniform distances, and a clamping member at'an end. of saidrod for maintainingthe parts in assembled relation.

(3. In a tube cleaning projectile of the class described. incombination, a rod, a series of scraper elements extending at rightangles thereto, and spacer nuts threaded to 8. The combinationuset forthin claim 7 i in which each scraper element is formed of a length. ofwire 'extendingin a low pitch helically in advance of the plane at whichit is clamped in position, the entire length of each wire being disposedbetween the adjacent wires atzopposite sides thereof.

9. In a tube cleaning projectile of the class described, in combination,a rod, a series of nuts threaded. thereon, scraper elements clampedbetween successive nuts, each said. scraper element comprising a lengthof wire encircling said rod and clamped in place by the nuts on oppositesides thereof and. extending in a spiral path about said nuts, the freeend of each said scraper being in advance of the secured end, the entirelength of each scraper element being disposed between adjacent scraperelements on opposite sides thereof, the free ends of said scraper beingstaggered.

10. As an article of manufacture, a scraper element for projectiles ofthe class described, comprising a length of wire coiled into a spiral,having an eye at its inner end, the spiral portion beyond the eyeextending through less than a single turn and extending out of the planeof the eye in a helix of low pitch.

Signed at New York city in the county of New York and State of New Yorkthis 11th day of January, A. D. 1921,

MARK K. BOWMAN.

